Metered delivery of wireless power

ABSTRACT

A system is disclosed for charging or billing for access to wireless power. The device requiring power communicates with the power provider and the billing method is determined. A consumer may be required to provide billing information, or if the billing information is already associated with an existing account, the consumer account is automatically charged for the wireless power. The account may include prepaid charging minutes that are debited as wireless power is provided, or the account may be billed for the wireless power that is provided. The charging/billing for the wireless power may be used to receive value for the power that is provided, while remaining consumer friendly.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/285,852, filed on Oct. 31, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 12/349,355 filed on Jan. 6, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No.8,069,100 issued on Nov. 29, 2011; each of which are hereby incorporatedby reference.

BACKGROUND

There is a significant and continually increasing need for widelyavailable power, particularly in the field of consumer and businesselectronics, due to the proliferation of laptop computers, cell phones,music players, personal digital assistants and other self-poweredrechargeable remote devices that require periodic charging. In manypublic places, power may not be readily available to the general publicbecause of the need for a power outlet for a wired connection. In thepast, squatters may have plugged their devices into any available outletand used power from the owner of the outlet. As devices become morepower hungry the availability of outlets and the need for more powerhave become more common. This is exaggerated by the number of devicesand the volume of usage per person. Electric vehicle charging now usesstandard outlets, which contribute to the power supply needs of thepublic. Outlet monitoring and power usage control may be necessary tofairly provide consumers with power while receiving compensation for theproduct (power) that is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The system and method may be better understood with reference to thefollowing drawings and description. Non-limiting and non-exhaustiveembodiments are described with reference to the following drawings. Thecomponents in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasisinstead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.In the drawings, like referenced numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the different views.

FIG. 1 illustrates a charging system;

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative charging system;

FIG. 3 illustrates a communications network for billing;

FIG. 4 illustrates billing and payment options;

FIG. 5 illustrates interactions in billing for providing a charge;

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary network system;

FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary charging compartments;

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary storage and charging process;

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary process for paying for a charge;

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary surface providing a wireless charge;

FIG. 11 illustrates a wireless power connection;

FIG. 12 illustrates alternative wireless power supply equipment;

FIG. 13 illustrates a power supplying process;

FIG. 14 illustrates a power receiving process; and

FIG. 15 illustrates a process for wireless power transfer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

There is a significant and continually increasing interest in wirelesspower supply systems to satisfy the consumers' needs for convenientpower access. Wireless power supply systems provide a variety ofbenefits over conventional wired connections. Most notably, theyeliminate the need for various charging cords and the need to repeatedlyplug in and unplug electronic devices for recharging, thereby reducingcost and improving ease and convenience of use. Publicly availablewireless charging may be very convenient and useful for consumers;however, the power provider, e.g. either the utility, the owner of thespace, or both, may want to charge or bill the consumer for the powerthat is provided.

By way of introduction, the disclosed embodiments relate to automatedmetering of, e.g. charging or billing for, access to wireless power. Thedevice requiring power communicates with the power provider and thebilling method is determined. A consumer may be required to providebilling/account information, or the billing/account information may havebeen previously associated with an existing account or associated withthe device requiring power, thereby allowing the consumer to beautomatically charged for the wireless power. The account may include aprepaid allotment, such as an allotment of prepaid charging minutes,that is debited as wireless power is provided, or the account may bebilled for the wireless power that is provided. The metering of powerdelivery may be provided so as to receive value for the electricalcharge or power that is provided, while remaining consumer friendly.

FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless charging system 100. The charging systemincludes at least one consumer 104 accessing a power supply system 102.The power supply system 102 may provide wireless power to the consumer104 in exchange for a payment. The power supply system 102 may beprovided, maintained, and/or controlled by an equipment provider 106,such as the owner or manager of a public or limited public space, and/ora power owner or supplier 108, such as an electrical utility. Theconsumer 104 may have a device, such as a cellular phone or laptopcomputer, that includes a battery that must be recharged or thatrequires a power supply for operation. It will be appreciated that thedisclosed embodiments may be used to supply power to non-batteryoperated devices which require delivery of operating electrical power atthe time of operation. Throughout this disclosure the term charge may beused to include providing power for recharging a battery as well asproviding or delivering power for reasons other than charging a battery,such as powering the device. The power supply system 102 provides theconsumer's 104 device with power to charge or otherwise operate thedevice. As described, the power or energy may be in the form of anelectric current (AC or DC) that is passed from an electrical outlet orsupply terminal to the consumer's device.

The power supply system 102 may provide power wirelessly to the consumer104. The power may be provided through induction that generates anelectrical current at the consumer's device that charges the device.Wireless power transfer is further described in commonly owned U.S. Pat.Pub. No. 2008/0231211, entitled “POWER SUPPLY,” which is herebyincorporated by reference.

The power supply system 102 may be located at a location owned by thepower owner 108. In one embodiment, the power owner may be a supplier ofthe electricity, such as an infrastructure owner who provides powerthrough the power supply system 102. The power owner 108 may utilize theequipment provider 106 for providing power to the consumer 104, but alsoto receive payment for that power. The equipment provider 106 may be themanufacturer of products, such as furniture, that are manufactured withthe power supply system 102 built in. For example, airport seating,airplane seating, desks, auditoriums, or kiosks may be manufactured toinclude the power supply system 102. Since the power owner 108 may wantto account for or recoup the expense for the power it provides toothers, it may seek to utilize equipment from equipment providers thathave the power supply system 102, as a way to provide power and receivepayment for it. The equipment provider 106 may control and maintain thepower supply system 102 under an agreement with the power owner 108, orthe power owner 108 may control and maintain the power supply system102. In one example, the power owner 108 may include the equipmentprovider 106 as a single entity.

FIG. 2 illustrates an alternative charging system 200. The alternativecharging system 200 includes a device 206 used by the consumer 104 thatneeds to be charged. The power supply system 102 includes power supplyequipment 202 and a billing processor 204. As in the charging system 100from FIG. 1, the device 206 owned or controlled by the consumer 104 mayrequire a charge. The device 206 may be an electronic device with abattery, and the battery requires a power source for recharging.Alternatively, the device 206 may require a power source to directlypower the device rather than, or in addition to, charging a battery. Thedevice 206 may include a cellular telephone, a Smartphone, Blackberry®,personal digital assistant (PDA), notebook/laptop computer, netbook,portable multimedia player (playing video/audio files, Blu-Ray, DVDs,CDs, etc.), video game player (e.g. Gameboy®, Playstation Portable®),mp3 player, iPod®, or any other device that may utilize a charge orpower source.

The device 206 may be configured to interact with the power supplysystem 102. In one example, the device 206 may include an adapter thatreceives wireless power from the power supply system 102, which may alsoinclude a corresponding adapter. The adapter of the power supply system102 may connect with a standard electrical outlet for receiving wiredpower, which is then transmitted wirelessly to the device 206.Alternatively, there may be a uniform adapter that provides power to anumber of different devices. For example, the uniform adapter mayinclude multiple plugs that fit different devices for providing chargeupon receiving power wirelessly. The wireless power transfer and adaptermay be further described in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2004/0150934, entitled“ADAPTER,” which is hereby incorporated by reference. The consumer 104may seek a power source to charge or power the device 206, such as at apublic location (e.g. an airport, library, or mall).

The power supply system 102 may be designed to provide power forcharging or powering of the consumer's device 206, while receiving apayment for the charge or power that is provided. A billing entity 208may be coupled with the billing processor 204 for receiving andprocessing the payment. The billing entity 208 may be a part of orseparate from any of the power supplier 210, the power owner 108, or theequipment provider 106. The payment may be a price-per-minute of charge,or may be based on the actual amount of power or electricity provided tothe device, such as the number of watt-hours delivered, and may bepre-paid or paid as used. The power supply system 102 may include thepower supply equipment 202 which provides the power to the device 206.The power supply equipment 202 may include an interface which accesses,via wires or wirelessly, the power at a particular location (presumablyowned by the power owner 108) and provided by a power supplier 210,which is then sold to consumers. The power supplier 210 may provide thewireless power, while the power owner 108 may be the owner of a locationfrom which the power is provided. As described herein, the power owner108 may also be the power supplier 210. In an alternative embodiment,the power supply system 102 may further include a detector thatidentifies the device 206. The detector may be a part of the powersupply equipment 202, or may be a separate component that provides theidentity of the device 206 and/or the consumer 104 to the billingprocessor 204.

As described below, the power supply equipment 202 provides wirelesspower to the device 206. The wireless power is transmitted to the device206, after the billing processor 204 receives an acknowledgement of someform of payment from the consumer 104 and/or from the device 206. Theremay be an acknowledgement of the amount of the fee by the consumer 104,or an acknowledgement of the consumer 104 and an associated account, oran acknowledgement that payment was made and/or received. The consumer104 provides payment information to the billing processor 204, whichprovides a fee payment to the billing entity 208 for use of the powersupply equipment 202. The fee or payment that is provided for thewireless power supply may also be referred to as a compensation. Thebilling entity 208 may be a service that is provided for and controlledby one of the equipment provider 106, the power supplier 210, and/or thepower owner 108. In one embodiment, the power owner 108 may purchase thepower supply equipment 202 from the equipment provider 106 for a onetime payment, and the equipment provider 106 may not receive additionalfee payments for the use of the power supply equipment 202.Alternatively, the billing entity 208 may provide the fees received tothe equipment provider 106, the power supplier 210, and/or the powerowner 108.

In one embodiment, the power supply system 102 may be a kiosk or otherdevice that is accessible by consumers. The power owner 108 may be thelocation where the kiosk is placed, such as a shopping mall, airport,hotel, amusement park, or other location. The kiosk may be operated by abilling entity 208 that collects payment from the consumers that receivepower from the kiosk. The equipment provider 106 may be the manufacturerof the kiosk that is provided for placement at the location of the powerowner 108. The power supplier 210 may be the power owner 108, or may bea utility company such as an electric company that provides electricityto the power owner 108. The power suppler 210 and the power owner 108will be described below as being the same entity. In another embodiment,a series of wireless power stations may be established to blanket anarea with wireless power. For example, the food court area of a shoppingmall may include multiple power stations such that anyone with a deviceat the food court would have access to the wireless power.

FIG. 3 illustrates a communications network for billing. The billingprocessor 204 communicates with the consumer 104, the equipment provider106, and/or the power owner 108 regarding the billing for charging thedevice 206. The consumer 104 (or the consumer's device 206), equipmentprovider 106, and power owner 108 may all be connected with the billingprocessor 204 through a network 302. The network 302 may connect any ofthe components to enable communication of data and may include wirednetworks, wireless networks, or combinations thereof. The wirelessnetwork may be a cellular telephone network, a network operatingaccording to a standardized protocol such as IEEE 802.11, 802.16,802.20, published by the Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers, Inc., or WiMax network. Further, the network 302 may be apublic network, such as the Internet, a private network, such as anintranet, or combinations thereof, and may utilize a variety ofnetworking protocols now available or later developed including, but notlimited to TCP/IP based networking protocols. The network(s) may includeone or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), adirect connection such as through a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, andthe like, and may include the set of interconnected networks that makeup the Internet. The network 302 may include any communication method oremploy any form of machine-readable media for communicating informationfrom one device or entity to another. For example, the consumer 104 maysubmit a payment over the network 302 to the billing processor 204. Thebilling processor 204 may be coupled with additional networks forsubmitting the payment, such as a credit/debit/ATM card authorizationnetwork.

Payment and/or account information 304 may also be accessed over thenetwork 302. For example, the consumer 104 may be able to access accountinformation 304 to monitor the amount, in terms of minutes or actualusage, of charge used over a certain period of time. The payment and/oraccount information 304 may also include information about the consumer104 that is accessible by the equipment provider 106 and/or the powerowner 108. For example, the payment and/or account information 304 mayinclude customer demographics, devices owned, payment processing data,credit card or other account information, telephone number, or otherinformation related to the consumer 104 and/or the device 206. Thepayment and/or account information 304 may be used by the billingprocessor for completing a transaction in which the consumer 104provides a payment and receives access to a power source for his/herdevice 206. The payment and/or account information 304 may include anaccount that represents an amount of charge that is available. Forexample, the consumer may prepay for a certain number of minutes ofcharge and the account will include that number of minutes, which willbe decremented as the device is charged. Additional minutes may bepurchased and added to the account, or the account may track the chargeamount and the consumer will be billed for that amount. The purchasedminutes or time may be referred to as billing minutes or chargingminutes and may be a different unit of time than minutes.

A website may be established for maintaining the payment/accountinformation 304 for the consumer 104, the equipment provider 106 and/orthe power owner 108. The website may provide an interface for thebilling processor 204 through which the consumer 104 establishes andmonitors a charging account. The power owner 108 may monitor the numberof consumers that access and pay for any given power supply equipment.Alternatively, an interactive voice response system may be used topermit customer access via the telephone or through the use of SMS textmessages for confirmation.

FIG. 4 illustrates billing and payment options for the consumer 104. Inparticular, the billing processor 204 may provide multiple payment types402 for a consumer 104 to purchase access to charging or power from thepower supply system 102. An account number 404 may be established foreach consumer 104 and/or each device 206. The account number 404 may beassociated with a balance that may or may not be prepaid. For example,the consumer 104 may purchase minutes of charge to the account number404. The minutes of charge may represent the time for which the device206 may be charged. For example, the consumer 104 may purchase one hourof charging time for $10, so if the consumer 104 adds $40 to the accountnumber 404, then the consumer 104 will have 4 hours of charging timeavailable. Accordingly, each consumer may have an account number 404that represents a prepaid account that will be debited based on theamount of charging time. Alternatively, an amount of charge may bepurchased that may vary based on the needs of the device to be charged.Charging minutes may be sold for the device as a time package or as apay-as-you-go expense. The charge minutes may be monitored with asoftware package and software certificate via the internet.

As discussed above with respect to the payment/account information 304,the account associated with the account number 404 may be accessiblefrom a website. In particular, a central website may manage thecollection of payments for electricity and service charges. The websitemay be an interface that allows the consumer 104 to refill the value ofthe account. For example, the consumer 104 may access his/her accountonline and add $10 or one hour of charge time to the account. Theaddition of funds may be from a funding account, such as a checking orsavings account, a credit card, a debit card, an ATM card, an onlinepayment service (e.g. Paypal®), or other funding method. In oneembodiment, the account may be linked with one of the funding accounts,such that the account balance may be automatically reloaded when theaccount value is depleted or when it drops below a threshold, such as$10. In addition, the power owner 108 and/or the equipment provider 106may also be able access the website and monitor access to the powersupply systems, including power usage and payment information. Asdescribed below, the consumer's device may be recognized by the powersupply system and the associated account number 404 may then beidentified and debited for the amount of power or the time the device ischarged.

In addition to an account number 404 for each consumer, the billingprocessor 204 may also process credit cards, debit cards, or gift cardswith a card scan 406 for consumers that may not set up an account, butstill would like access to the wireless power. The consumer 104 may beable to pay at the power supply system 102 by providing a card forpaying for the charges. The payment may be prepaid (e.g. $10 for onehour), or after the charging has completed, the consumer may pay basedon how long the device charged. The account may include downloading thepurchased minutes onto the device. For example, a cell phone user maypurchase additional minutes over the cellular network and those minutesare stored (or encoded) on the device. Likewise, a laptop may downloadminutes, such as over a WiFi or other connection, and when the device ischarging, those minutes are deducted. The power supply system 102 mayinclude a coin or dollar bill slot for paying cash 408 for a charge orpaying cash to purchase additional minutes for a consumer or device.

The consumer's phone number 410 may also be used for payment. In oneembodiment, the phone number 410 may be associated with the consumer'saccount number 404 or may be the account number 404. The phone number410 may be used to debit cell phone minutes 412 as a form of payment.For example, a charge of a cellular phone may be paid for with the cellphone minutes 412 or with other minutes purchased and associated withthe account number 404. The cell phone provider may be associated withthe equipment provider 106 and/or power owner 108 for agreeing on acompensation plan in which the consumer loses cell phone minutes 412,and the cell phone provider pays the equipment provider 106 and/or powerowner 108 based on the number of minutes spent for a charge. Thecharging may be registered and metered through the phone number 410, orthrough a cellular service, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, or any other wirelesslink. The charging minutes may be purchased and charged to your phonenumber 410 or account 404 and then are decremented as the time is used.

Email or short messaging service (SMS) messages 414 may also be used forpayment. For example, a consumer may provide either an email or a phonenumber for SMS and the billing processor may confirm the consumer'sidentity by submitting a code by email or text (SMS) message. The codecan then be used to access the wireless charge. Accordingly, email orSMS may be used for user and/or payment verification. The email and/ortext message may include a PIN 416 number as described below.Alternatively, the consumer may need to affirmatively reply to the emailor SMS message for verification.

A personal identification number (PIN) 416 may be used for securelyleaving the device 206 at the power supply system 102. The PIN 416 maybe a code that is entered upon leaving the device 206 and must beentered for retrieval of the device 206. For example, the power supplysystem 102 may include a number of individual lockers or other mechanismto secure the device, that may individually charge devices. Upon receiptof payment (or an account number 404 or phone number 410), the consumerenters the PIN 416 and the device is locked in the locker. To retrievethe device, the consumer enters the PIN 416 as described with respect toFIG. 8.

FIG. 5 illustrates interactions in billing for providing a charge. Inparticular, FIG. 5 illustrates further billing options between thedevice owner or consumer 104, the equipment provider 106, and/or theinfrastructure or power owner 108. The consumer 104 may access awireless charging access point from the equipment provider 106, forwhich the power owner 108 is paid for the electricity provided for thewireless charge. The consumer 104 may utilize cash entry billingminutes, ATM/credit card billing minutes, cell phone billing minutes,internet encrypted electronic minutes, and/or Wi-Fi billing minutes. Theconsumer 104 may have an account in which billing minutes are purchasedwith any of these mechanisms. The billing minutes may be associated withthe consumer 104 and/or a particular device. The billing minutes mayrepresent charge time, or an amount of power/electricity provided forthe charge.

The equipment provider 106 may include cash collection and tracking forthe receipt of cash, credit card processing for a credit card or othercard payment, or a cell phone interface for billing the charge time tothe consumer's cell phone bill. The charge time may result in adeduction of cell phone minutes, or may include an additional charge onthe cell phone bill. In such an embodiment, the equipment provider 106may be a cell phone company, such as Verizon®. Verizon® may provide awireless power supply system in which Verizon® users may charge theircell phones with the billing being added to the cell phone bill.Alternatively, the cell phone user may purchase billing minutes that aredownloaded to the cell phone and deducted as the phone charges. Awebsite or other software interface may be utilized for access andtracking of a consumer's billing minutes as described above. Inaddition, email notifications may be used for identifying the status ofbilling minutes for a consumer.

The power owner 108 may also provide cash collection and tracking of theuse of power. The electricity provided by the power owner 108 may bemonitored along with the payments that are received for the providedelectricity through the website or other software interface. The powerowner 108 may monitor the payments received for each location comparedwith the cost of the electricity that is being provided. Accordingly,the power owner 108 may target different locations to maximize usage ofthe power supply systems.

An encryption and decryption system may be used to encode the billingminutes at the device, then verify and decrement the minutes using thecode provided by the source which can also be verified and synchronizedusing web or cell phone access. A security code (which may be a rollingcode), a user ID, and minutes may be tracked by the source and verifiedusing the internet. This may be used to provide proper transfer ofpayment to the proper power owner and the equipment provider dependingon the business structure that drives the installation of theinfrastructure.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the power supply equipment 202 may be coupledwith a billing processor 202 for receiving and verifying payment.Alternatively, the power supply equipment 202 may automaticallyrecognize the device 206 and/or the consumer 104 and the consumer 104may be automatically billed. The consumer's account may be automaticallydebited based on the length of time of the charging. In one example, anarmrest for certain seats may be equipped for wireless charging and whena device is placed on the armrest, the device may start chargingautomatically if the power supply does not require a payment. Multiplepayment types were described with respect to FIG. 4, but anotheralternative may include automatic payment. The power supply equipment202 may identify the device that is being charged. The identificationmay utilize the communication described in the U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/652,053, entitled “WIRELESS CHARGING SYSTEM WITH DEVICEPOWER COMPLIANCE” filed on Jan. 6, 2009, and U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2008/0157603, entitled “INDUCTIVE POWER SUPPLY WITH DEVICEIDENTIFICATION,” both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Based on the device identification, the consumer and/or an accountassociated with that device may be identified for billing. For example,once the device is identified, then the account number that isassociated with the device will automatically be debited for the timespent charging after the charging is completed. If the device is acellular phone, then the phone's minutes may be automatically debitedwhen it is disposed on a wireless charger that identifies the device.

The automatic billing or debiting for a wireless charge may becontrolled over a wireless network. In the cellular phone example, thewireless network may be the cellular network. Other protocols, such asBluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Near Field Communication (NFC) technology may beused for connecting the charging system with account information forbilling. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary network system. In particular,the device owner 104, equipment provider 106, and power owner 108 areeach connected with the Internet 602. The connection with the Internet302 may include a website that tracks usage by equipment for each powerowner 108 and/or each equipment provider 106. The website also tracksusage by device for each device owner 104. Further, the Internet may beused for identifying the device and billing/debiting the appropriateaccount associated with that device. A phone interface 604 may be thewireless network associated with a cellular phone device. The phoneinterface 604 may be utilized by the device owner 104 for debitingminutes from the cell phone. The Internet 602 or the phone interface 604may be utilized for automatic billing for a charge. Once the charge isinitiated, the relevant device information is passed over the networkand consumer account information is received in response. Once thecharging is completed, the consumer's account information is updated toreflect the amount of the bill for the charging.

Although the charge system described herein is wireless, the billingtechniques described throughout may also be used for a wired solution.In particular, cable or corded communications, as well as wirelesscommunications, may be used to transfer the needed information to track,verify and bill accordingly. The power supply may include a cord thatconnects with the device rather than relying on induction for wirelesslytransmitting power.

FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary charging compartments or lockers 702. Asshown in FIG. 7, there may be a series of lockers 702 that are eachcompartments for wirelessly charging a device. The lockers 702 may bepull-out drawers or have a door that swings open for placement of adevice to be charged. The lockers 702 may be connected with an interfacein which the consumer provides payment for the wireless charge. Theinterface may include a key pad, touch screen, card scanner, or cashreceiver. The consumer may provide a form of payment, such as cash, card(credit, debit, or gift), account number, or phone number in order toaccess one of the lockers 702. In one embodiment, the PIN 416 is used toretrieve a device placed in one of the lockers. The PIN 416 may beentered into a key pad, keyboard, or touch screen interface. The PIN 416may be entered by the consumer upon dropping the device off at thelocker, such as a 4-digit number. Alternatively, the PIN 416 may be theaccount number 404 or phone number 410.

The lockers 702 may be located in a kiosk or other publicly accessibleplace. For example, high traffic public areas, such as shopping malls,subway stations, cruise ships, and airports, may provide the wirelesspower supply system for its consumers. If the consumer's cell phoneneeds charged, the consumer can utilize one of the lockers for a periodof time to wirelessly charge the phone and then return after the periodof time to pick up the phone. The lockers or compartments may beshielded to prevent fields from one locker affecting a device in anotherlocker. As described, the lockers 702 may “lock” the device whilecharging, and may require a key for unlocking the device. In alternativeembodiments, there may be lockers 702 that do not lock the devices anddo not require a PIN 416. The consumer may leave the device at one ofthe lockers 702 temporarily and may stay near the locker to get atemporary charge. If a store or business provided a free wireless powersupply system, it may not require locks for the lockers 702.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary storage and charging process. In block802, the consumer requests access to the power supply system 102 forcharging a device. The access requested may be for one of the lockers702. The request may include opening one of the lockers 702 or inputtingpayment according to one of the payment types 402. In block 804, thepayment is received from the consumer. As discussed above, the paymentmay be through multiple payment types 402 and may be submitted throughan interface. In block 806, the payment is verified depending on thepayment type. For example, for an account number, the amount of creditassociated with the account is determined and the consumer may benotified of the length of the time the charge may be available. If anaccount does not have enough credit, the consumer may be notified to addmore money to the account. In block 808, the device is stored forcharge. The lockers 702 may be used as individual compartments forwirelessly charging devices. In block 810, the devices may be locked toprevent access to the device by anyone other than the owner. Inalternative embodiments, there may be no need for locking of the deviceswhen the consumer is near the device, but in various publicenvironments, the consumer may not want to be near the device for theentire charge time. In block 810, there may be multiple locking codesthat are used, such as the PIN 416, the account number 404, and/or thephone number 410. The entry of one of these access codes allows theconsumer to retrieve the charging device.

FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary process for paying for a charge. Inblock 902, the power supply system 102 waits for a consumer to request acharge. When the consumer is ready in block 904, the consumer enterspayment and the payment is verified in block 906. If the consumer wasnot ready in block 902, the system waits for the payment in block 908.When the payment is being verified in block 906, the system checks tosee if payment was made in block 910, and if the payment was not made,the system waits in block 912 for the consumer to be ready and forpayment to be verified. When payment is made in block 910, the door isopened for charging of the device in block 914. A receipt for thepayment may also be printed that is a proof of purchase. The receipt mayalso include a code, such as the PIN 404 for accessing the chargingdevice. In block 916, the door is open and the system waits for the doorto be closed in block 918. When the door is closed in block 916, thesystem checks for the code in block 920. Until the code is entered inblock 920, the power is wirelessly applied to the device for charging asin block 922. When the code is entered in block 920, the door is openedand the charging is stopped as in block 924.

Referring back to FIG. 2, the power supply equipment 202 provideswireless power to the device 206. FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplarysurface providing a wireless charge. The power supply equipment 202 mayinclude a wireless charger 1001 with a surface 1002 that is adjacent aprimary coil 1004 coupled with a power supply 1006. The power supply1006 provides current to the primary coil 1004 for generating a magneticfield. When a device is disposed on or near the surface 1002, a chargeis induced in a secondary coil in the device from the primary coil 1004.The wireless charger 1001 may be located in each of the lockers 702illustrated in FIG. 7. In alternative embodiments, a single wirelesscharger 1001 may charge multiple devices. The power supply equipment 202may include a single large wireless charger 1001 that charges multipledevices. The wireless charger 1001 may be located in auditorium seating,airport seating, train seating, airplane seating, fold down tables, orrestaurant tables for providing a wireless charge. In particular, thewireless charger 1001 may be disposed in the armrest of one of theseats, such that the device is placed on or near the armrest surface fora wireless charge. Alternatively, other surfaces, such as a desktop,work surface, or table may also be equipped with the wireless charger1001.

FIG. 11 illustrates a wireless power connection. Power from the powerprovider enters 1102 and is then rectified to DC by 1104. The powersupply 1106 allows a variable power supply to alter the DC voltagerequired as selected by 1110. This information is passed from the device206 through the wireless power link 1112. The capacitor adjacent to 1112in the device 206 is optional depending on design considerations. Devicelimits, charge or power needs are transferred from the device 206 to thepower supply equipment 202 using a simple control that varies the load1128 by the device 206 control to allow detailed communications. Thiscontrol may be the microprocessor located within the device and canswitch an additional load or change the voltage level using 1126 to sendinformation to the control 1110. Alternatively, the control 1110 mayalso alter the signal send through the wireless power link 1112 usingthe converter 1106 changing the voltage into the inverter 1108. Avoltage or frequency input at 1122 or 1124 to the device 206microprocessor control may allow this information to be decoded.Wireless power charging is further described in U.S. Pat. Pub. No.2008/0079392, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INDUCTIVELY CHARGING ABATTERY,” and U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2007/0042729, entitled “INDUCTIVE POWERSUPPLY, REMOTE DEVICE POWERED BY INDUCTIVE POWER SUPPLY AND METHOD FOROPERATING SAME,” both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIG. 11 shows the power supply equipment 202 inductively coupled withthe device 206. In one embodiment, the device 206 is charged inductivelyby the power supply equipment 202. The power supply equipment 202 mayinclude the wireless charger 1001 described with respect to FIG. 10. Thepower supply equipment 202 may receive main inputs 1102 of power. Thepower may be paid for by the power owner 108. The main input isrectified 1104 before going through a DC/DC converter 1106 and aninverter 1108. A control 1110 controls the incoming power and regulatesthe primary coil 1112. As described above with respect to FIG. 2, thebilling processor 204 may be a separate component from the power supplyequipment 202. Alternatively, the power supply equipment 202 may includea payment interface 1114 for receiving the payment from the consumer.The power supply equipment 202 may further include a phone interface1116 for coupling with a cellular network. The phone interface 1116 maydebit a consumer's minutes for charging of a cell phone device. Adisplay 1118 may display for the consumer the elapsed time of thecharging along with the current cost. Additional device and/or accountinformation may be shown on the display 1118 to the consumer. A printer1120 may print out a receipt for bill payment and/or print out a code(such as a PIN) for retrieving a charging device.

The device 206 may include a secondary coil 1122 disposed adjacent ornear the primary coil 1112 for generating a current that passes througha rectifier 1124 and a DC/DC converter 1126. The wireless inductivetransfer between the power supply equipment 202 and the device 206 feedsa load 1128 that is charged by the power supply equipment 202. Asdiscussed above with respect to the lockers 702 in FIG. 7, an electricsecurity lock 1130 may secure the device 206 to prevent access exceptfor the device owner. The electric security lock 1130 may require acode, PIN, or other identifying material for access to the device.

FIG. 12 illustrates alternative wireless power supply equipment 202. Thecomponents in the power supply equipment 202 may be similar to the powerunit illustrated in FIG. 11. The device 202 may include a control thatpowers four wireless power devices with one controller 1206. This systemmay be easily scaled to as many units as required for an installation byadding drive controls 1208 as system speed allows or adding parallelsystems as required. The main input 1202 is received and passed througha rectifier 1204. A control user interface 1206 may monitor/control thecharging that is provided by the coils Lp1, Lp2, Lp3, and Lp4. Each ofthe coils may be coupled with a separate drive/control 1208 that passcurrent through the coils. The power supply equipment 202 illustrated inFIG. 12 may configured to charge multiple devices simultaneously withthe plurality of coils. The controller 1206 multiplexes monitoring eachof the drive controls 1208. The drive control to the coil Lpx is handledby each drive control 1208 respectively, in order to share processingrequirements. The controller 1206 may maintain communications and basicpower parameters for each of the controls 1208 while the controller 1206drive controls each coil Lp1-Lp4 respectively.

FIG. 13 illustrates a power supplying process. The process illustratedin FIG. 13 may be performed by the power supply system 102. The systemchecks whether a device is present in block 1302. The device may bedetected using a mechanical or electronic sensor, or through the use ofa RFID chip. If no device is present, then the system is in standby modein block 1304. The system then decides whether it is in low powerstandby in block 1306. When in lower power standby, the system waits offcycle with a standby for a change in block 1308. When not in low powerstandby in block 1306, or when a device is present in block 1302, thesystem is woken and identification is read in block 1310. Theidentification identifies the device and/or the device owner. In block1312, a billing request is submitted to the device and the system waitsfor the device response to the billing request. In block 1314, thesystem waits for the device to affirm the billing request in order toproceed with the process and decrypting billing data. In block 1316, thebilling validity is determined. If the billing is not valid, then thedevice is informed of the problem with the billing in block 1318. In oneembodiment, there may be a minimum threshold of minutes that arerequired before the consumer can begin charging. For example, if theconsumer has fewer than 10 charging minutes the consumer may berequested to add additional payment as part of the feedback to the userin block 1318. When the billing is valid in block 1316, the power isapplied to the device and the time and/or energy is tracked in block1320. The billing may be based on an amount of time that is charged orbased on an amount of energy that is provided. The energy is applied tothe device and the time and/or energy is tracked in block 1320 as longas the device is present in block 1322. When the device is removed inblock 1322, the billing data is decrypted for charging/billing thedevice owner. In one embodiment, the time and/or energy may be trackedby a set unit of time, such as every minute. After each of the timeintervals, the device sends a certificate for another time unit ofcharge. In response, the device may need to verify the ID of the deviceand validate the certificate request.

FIG. 14 illustrates a power receiving process. The process illustratedin FIG. 14 may be performed by the device 206 and the consumer 104 ordevice owner. In block 1402, the device determines whether it is locatedin a hot spot with wireless charging. In block 1404, the device waitsfor a hot spot to be identified for wireless charging. In block 1406,when the device is located near a hot spot, the device is woken andidentification of the device is provided to the hot spot. The hot spotmay include the power supply system 102. A determination is made by thedevice as to whether the wireless power provider is free or requires afee as in block 1408. When the power is free the charge data is sent tothe provider and the charging is managed by the device in block 1410.When the charger requires a fee, the cost is displayed in block 1412. Inblock 1414, the consumer and device are approved. When the consumerand/or device are not approved in block 1414, feedback is provided tothe consumer regarding the billing information problems in block 1416.When the consumer is approved, encrypted account data is sent to thecharge provider in block 1418. The consumer verifies the cost and timeneeded for charging in block 1420. In block 1422, the device is chargedand the time and/or energy are tracked for billing.

As hybrid vehicles and electric cars become more common it is moreimportant to be able to provide a charge to the battery that is drivingthe car. The vehicle may be the device 206 described above and may bethe equipment that is manufactured to include the wireless power supplysystem 102. The locations for receiving a charge include the wirelesspower supply system may be a designated parking space or portion of theroad that includes a wireless charger that can charge the vehicle whenit is at that location. Alternatively, the vehicle may be powered by thewireless power that it receives rather than just charging a battery withthe wireless power. A metered parking spot may include the wirelesspower supply below the spot, such that a consumer pays to park in thatspot and the vehicle is charged by the power supply. Alternatively, aconsumer may install the wireless power supply in a garage parking spotso that when the vehicle is parked in the garage, the vehicle batterymay be charged. A section of road may include the wireless chargingsystem, so that when the vehicle travels down that road, the battery ischarged. In other words, there may be a power zone or hot spot thatcharges the vehicle as it passes over that zone/spot. The vehicle may bean electric car that is charged. Alternatively, a scooter or Segway mayalso be charged by the wireless power system.

FIG. 15 illustrates a process for wireless power transfer. In block1502, a device is detected for charging. In one embodiment, the powersupply system may receive a signal from a device seeking a charge. Inone embodiment, when the device enters into a vicinity or proximity ofthe wireless power provider, the device may detect the wireless power.For example, a consumer with a cell phone may enter an area with awireless power provider and the cell phone may detect the wireless poweror the wireless power provider may detect the presence of the cellphone. In block 1504, the device may be identified by the power supplysystem. An account associated with the device and/or the consumer mayalso be identified. Each account may include one or more devices. Thedevice and/or account may be identified based on a signal orcommunication between the power supply system and the device. Thecommunication may be a SMS or email, or RFID may be used foridentification. Once the device and/or the account have been identified,the billing for the wireless charging of the device may occur in block1506. In one example, an account associated with the device may includeprepaid funds that are used for paying for the wireless charge.Alternatively, the account may include a record of the wireless powerprovided that is then billed to the account, or charged to a fundingaccount, such as a credit card as in block 1514 discussed below. Oncethe payment has been established the power is supplied to the device inblock 1510. The device may confirm receipt of the wireless power inblock 1512. For example, the device may communicate with the powersupplier regarding the amount of charge delivered and/or received. Theconfirmation may be needed to confirm that the device is receiving thepower that the supplier thinks is being delivered. The confirmation maybe required for the charging/billing of the account of the device,otherwise, it may be possible the device did not receive the wirelesspower or another device was receiving the wireless power inadvertently.

The payment/billing for wireless power may be made before powerdelivery, during power deliver, or after power delivery. In block 1514,the account may be billed for the power received when there was not aprepayment. The payment may be debited from the account as the power isdelivered, or may be based on time intervals, such as five minuteintervals of time. For example, the consumer may purchase threefive-minute intervals of charge. The amount may be paid up front with atimer controlling the delivery of power. If the device is removed beforethe time is up, the consumer may lose the extra charge time, or it maybe added to the consumer's account. Alternatively, the billing may onlybe for the amount of power that is received. In another example, adevice may be fully charged in less time than anticipated. Depending onthe payment type, the consumer may lose the extra time that was paidfor, or that time may be refunded.

In one embodiment, the wireless power may be transferred to a deviceautomatically with limited or no user interaction. For example, when aconsumer with his/her device enters into a wireless charge area, thedevice may automatically begin receiving wireless power after the deviceor account is identified and a form of payment is verified. The devicemay identify itself to the wireless charge system. The wireless chargearea may include the range that the wireless power is available over.When the device is within range, it may automatically receive poweruntil it is fully charged, at which time, it may stop receiving power.Alternatively, this automatic charging may request confirmation from theconsumer on whether the device should be wirelessly charged. Forexample, an SMS communication/response or other validation may berequired on the device or at a source of the wireless power in order tobegin the wireless power transfer. The device may detect that it iswithin the wireless power range and provide a Yes/No option for theconsumer to decide whether to receive wireless power to the device. Thevalidation may also include the price that must be paid for the wirelesspower.

The system and process described above may be encoded in a signalbearing medium, a computer readable medium such as a memory, programmedwithin a device such as one or more integrated circuits, one or moreprocessors or processed by a controller or a computer. That data may beanalyzed in a computer system and used to generate a spectrum. If themethods are performed by software, the software may reside in a memoryresident to or interfaced to a storage device, synchronizer, acommunication interface, or non-volatile or volatile memory incommunication with a transmitter. A circuit or electronic devicedesigned to send data to another location. The memory may include anordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logicalfunctions. A logical function or any system element described may beimplemented through optic circuitry, digital circuitry, through sourcecode, through analog circuitry, through an analog source such as ananalog electrical, audio, or video signal or a combination. The softwaremay be embodied in any computer-readable or signal-bearing medium, foruse by, or in connection with an instruction executable system,apparatus, or device. Such a system may include a computer-based system,a processor-containing system, or another system that may selectivelyfetch instructions from an instruction executable system, apparatus, ordevice that may also execute instructions.

A “computer-readable medium,” “machine readable medium,”“propagated-signal” medium, and/or “signal-bearing medium” may compriseany device that includes, stores, communicates, propagates, ortransports software for use by or in connection with an instructionexecutable system, apparatus, or device. The machine-readable medium mayselectively be, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical,electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, device,or propagation medium. A non-exhaustive list of examples of amachine-readable medium would include: an electrical connection“electronic” having one or more wires, a portable magnetic or opticaldisk, a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory “RAM”, aRead-Only Memory “ROM”, an Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROMor Flash memory), or an optical fiber. A machine-readable medium mayalso include a tangible medium upon which software is printed, as thesoftware may be electronically stored as an image or in another format(e.g., through an optical scan), then compiled, and/or interpreted orotherwise processed. The processed medium may then be stored in acomputer and/or machine memory.

The illustrations of the embodiments described herein are intended toprovide a general understanding of the structure of the variousembodiments. The illustrations are not intended to serve as a completedescription of all of the elements and features of apparatus and systemsthat utilize the structures or methods described herein. Many otherembodiments may be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewingthe disclosure. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from thedisclosure, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.Additionally, the illustrations are merely representational and may notbe drawn to scale. Certain proportions within the illustrations may beexaggerated, while other proportions may be minimized. Accordingly, thedisclosure and the figures are to be regarded as illustrative ratherthan restrictive.

One or more embodiments of the disclosure may be referred to herein,individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely forconvenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of thisapplication to any particular invention or inventive concept. Moreover,although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it should be appreciated that any subsequent arrangementdesigned to achieve the same or similar purpose may be substituted forthe specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover anyand all subsequent adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the description.

The above disclosed subject matter is to be considered illustrative, andnot restrictive, and the appended claims are intended to cover all suchmodifications, enhancements, and other embodiments, which fall withinthe true spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, to the maximumextent allowed by law, the scope of the present invention is to bedetermined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the followingclaims and their equivalents, and shall not be restricted or limited bythe foregoing detailed description. While various embodiments of theinvention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinaryskill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations arepossible within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the inventionis not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and theirequivalents.

We claim:
 1. A method for receiving wireless power at a devicecomprising: detecting, via sensor circuitry automatically, a wirelesspower source when the device is near the wireless power source;utilizing communication circuitry to provide, without receiving arequest for identification of the device from the wireless power sourceand without user interaction, identification of the device to thewireless power source in response to said detecting, via sensorcircuitry automatically, the wireless power source; utilizingcommunication circuitry to receive a request for a payment for a receiptof the wireless power; utilizing communication circuitry to provide anacceptance of the request; and receiving the wireless power at thedevice.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification comprisesaccount information associated with the device.
 3. The method of claim 2wherein the account information comprises a payment method.
 4. Themethod of claim 2 wherein the account information is encrypted.
 5. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the acceptance comprises a verification thatis transmitted over a network.
 6. The method of claim 5 whereinverification comprises a user identification that is transmitted overthe Internet.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the user identificationcomprises a security certificate.
 8. The method of claim 5 whereinverification comprises an email message or a text message.
 9. The methodof claim 1 further comprising: utilizing communication circuitry toprovide a confirmation of receipt of the wireless power, wherein theconfirmation includes an amount of wireless power received; and aprocessing circuit configured to adjust the payment when the amount ofthe wireless power in the confirmation is different from the wirelesspower delivered from the wireless power source.
 10. The method of claim1 wherein the wireless power receipt is monitored by a second device.11. The method of claim 10 wherein a power owner provides power for thewireless power source and an equipment owner operates the wireless powersource.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the power owner receives atleast a portion of the payment and the equipment owner receives at leasta portion of the payment.
 13. The method of claim 1 further comprisingidentifying whether the wireless power source is billed charge or freecharge, wherein the device automatically receives the wireless chargewhen the source is free charge.
 14. The device of claim 13 wherein theidentification comprises account information associated with the device.15. The device of claim 13 wherein the acceptance comprises averification that is transmitted over a network.
 16. The device of claim13 wherein said communication system is further configured to provide aconfirmation of receipt of the wireless power, wherein the confirmationincludes an amount of wireless power received; and a processing circuitconfigured to adjust the payment when the amount of the wireless powerin the confirmation is different from the wireless power delivered fromthe wireless power source.
 17. The device of claim 13 including aprocessing circuit configured to identify whether the wireless powersource is billed charge or free charge, wherein the device automaticallyreceives the wireless charge when the source is free charge.
 18. Amethod for receiving billing information and wireless charge at a devicecomprising: detecting a wireless power source automatically, wherein thedevice identifies the wireless power source when within range;providing, in response to said detecting, an identification of thedevice to the wireless power source without receiving a request foridentification of the device from the wireless power source and withoutuser interaction; receiving a notification of billing for the wirelesscharge when the source is billed charge; providing an approval of thebilling when the source is billed charge; and receiving the wirelesscharge upon approval of the billing when the source is billed charge.19. The method of claim 18 wherein the notification of billing for thewireless charge when the source is billed charge is encrypted.
 20. Themethod of claim 19 wherein the approval of the billing is provided upona verification of billing with the device.
 21. The method of claim 20wherein the verification comprises a user identification that istransmitted over the Internet.
 22. The method of claim 18 wherein thewireless charge receipt is monitored by a second device.
 23. The methodof claim 18 wherein a power owner provides power for the wireless powersource and an equipment owner operates the wireless power source. 24.The method of claim 23 wherein the power owner receives at least aportion of a payment for the wireless charge provided and the equipmentowner receives at least a portion of the payment.
 25. The method ofclaim 18 further comprising: receiving, upon detection of the wirelesspower source, a prompt for receiving wireless charging; and providing aresponse to the prompt that comprises the approval for receipt of thewireless charge.
 26. The method of claim 25 wherein the prompt comprisesan email message and the response comprises a reply to the emailmessage.
 27. The method of claim 18 further comprising: providing aconfirmation of receipt of the wireless charge, wherein the confirmationincludes an amount of wireless charge received; and adjusting a paymentfor the amount of wireless charge received when the amount of wirelesscharge in the confirmation is different from the wireless chargedelivered from the wireless power source.
 28. The method of claim 18further comprising identifying whether the wireless power source isbilled charge or free charge, wherein the device automatically receivesthe wireless charge when the source is free charge.
 29. A device forreceiving wireless power comprising: sensing circuitry for detecting,automatically, a wireless power source when the device is near thewireless power source; communication circuitry configured to: provide,without receiving a request for identification of the device from thewireless power source and without user interaction, identification ofthe device to the wireless power source in response to said sensordetecting, automatically, the wireless power source; receive a requestfor a payment for a receipt of the wireless power; and provide anacceptance of the request; a secondary coil for receiving the wirelesspower at the portable electrical device from the wireless power source.30. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having storedthereon instructions that when executed cause processing circuitry toperform a method comprising: detecting, via sensor circuitryautomatically, a wireless power source when the device is near thewireless power source; utilizing communication circuitry to provide,without receiving a request for identification of the device from thewireless power source and without user interaction, identification ofthe device to the wireless power source in response to said detecting,via sensor circuitry automatically, the wireless power source; utilizingcommunication circuitry to receive a request for a payment for a receiptof the wireless power; utilizing communication circuitry to provide anacceptance of the request; and receiving the wireless power at thedevice.
 31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim30, wherein the identification comprises account information associatedwith the device.
 32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumof claim 31, wherein the account information comprises a payment method.33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 31,wherein the account information is encrypted.
 34. The non-transitorycomputer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the acceptancecomprises a verification and further comprising instructions that causeprocessing circuitry to transmit verification over a network.
 35. Thenon-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, whereinverification comprises a user identification and further comprisinginstructions that cause processing circuitry to transmit over theInternet.
 36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 35, wherein the user identification comprises a securitycertificate.
 37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium ofclaim 34, wherein verification comprises an email message or a textmessage.